Unexpectedly Fading
by Sarcasmcat
Summary: It's been two years since Rei's death and Bryan is not holding up well. His only desire is to have his lover back. BryanxRei Sequel to Unexpected Protector.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own one character.

AN: Another story. I know. I hope you all enjoy this. And I was wondering if anyone could do me a huge favor, and write a BryanxKai for me. It would mean the world to me. I'm willing to write a story for a story.

Bryan stared at the dark grey tombstone, moonlight eyes hazed. It had been two years since Rei's death, and still, he found himself drawn to the neko-jin's resting place. The Russian knelt down and gently brushed his fingers over Rei's name. With a sigh he set three roses against the marker, their colors bright.

Mango, orchid and gold blended together perfectly, brightening the day. Kai and Tala had been unable to make there weekly visit to the graveyard because of a week long business meeting. He had woken to find the two roses on the coffee table, tied together with a black ribbon.

A small card sat next to the roses, decorated by a white tiger. Tala's looping handwriting had been on the inside, the gold ink shining in the semi-darkness of the living room.

_Bry_

_Obviously we can't make it. I think Kai might throttle whoever decided to have the meeting this particular week. No one seems to realize that Friday is the two year anniversary of Rei's death. Kai's been a wreck all week, and I have to admit, I haven't been much better. You know what to do with the roses._

_Love,_

_Tala_

Bryan got to his feet and brushed his hair back, hand slightly trembling. He jammed his hand in his pocket and with a final glance at his lover's marker made his way to his car. The Russian turned up the heater, trying to drive away the shivers that seemed to wrack his body.  
  
-------

Tala opened the door to the penthouse to find Bryan waiting patiently, arms folded across his chest. The redhead hugged his friend, before stepping back to take the other Russian's coat.

"How have you been?"

The lavender haired man shrugged. "As well as can be expected."

The redhead nodded and hung up Bryan's coat before motioning him into the living room. The moment Bryan walked in he found a glass shoved into his hands. A slight smiled curl his lips as the familiar scent reached his nose.

As he took a drink of the vodka, he allowed his eyes to roam over Kai. The slate haired Russian looked extremely pale and his clothing seemed to hang off his body. It seemed like every time the day of Rei's death came by, Kai became a former shadow of himself. By the end of the month he would be fine, though his eyes always seemed to stay haunted.

Bryan sank down on leather armchair, reflecting on his own changes since the neko-jin had been killed. Rei had been the one person in his life that had loved the Russian in the way he had needed. As a lover.

Bryan's ability to control his temper was almost nonexistent. He had ceased to have a social life, only going out with Tala and Kai. Any team reunions that had come up he had avoided, the memories of Rei at the last reunion too poignant.

His pale skin was almost translucent and his eyes were sunken, their moonlight color subdued. He had allowed his hair to grow to the bottom of his shoulder blades and he kept it tightly bound at the nape of his neck.

Shortly after his lover's death he had to buy a whole new wardrobe. He was rail thin and had trouble sleeping at night. Many of the problems he had at the Abbey had returned with a vengeance.

"Kai, what's up?" Bryan asked as he set his glass on the table next to his chair, eyes on his friend.

The slate haired Russian sank onto the couch, his own glass held tightly in his hand.

"I have no idea. This is the worst it's ever been." Kai downed his vodka in one go, ignoring the burning sensation.

Tala sat down next to his lover, and filled a glass for himself. The three Russians sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. The silence was broken when Bryan went to pick up his glass, only to have it slip from his fingers and crash to the floor. It shattered and he rubbed tiredly at the bridge of his nose.

"Shit."

Bryan slid to the ground and quickly started picking up the pieces, not wanting Tala and Kai to notice the shaking that was making it nearly impossible to pick up the pieces. Tala dropped to the ground and started to help him.

Blue eyes rested on Bryan's hands and widened in shock.

"Bry, you're hands! Why didn't you-"

The lavender haired Russian got to his feet, and closed his hands, forgetting about the glass. At the sudden sharp pain in his palm he unfolded his hand, not really caring about the pieces of glass embedded in his hand.

"Bryan! That was stupid of you." Tala said as he started to pick the glass from his friend's hand.

Kai was staring at Bryan's hands as he held the bowl Tala was putting the glass in. Mahogany and moonlight met and a frown curled the slate haired Russian's lips.

"Bry, you need to-"

Bryan ripped his hand from Tala's grip, ignoring the blood he could feel dripping to the floor. When he spoke, his voice was nearly inaudible.

"I don't! I'll be fine!"

Tala raised one hand, as though he was going to hit the other Russian.

"Bryan, you won't be fine. You can't let this happen!" The redhead's voice was almost shrill, showing his fear for his friend.

Bryan was about to speak when a small voice beat him to it.

"Papa, why are you yelling at Bryan?"

Standing in the doorway that led back to the bedrooms was a small boy. He wore a long shirt that hung down past his knees, showing his bare feet. His hair was flame red and his eyes were the color of a rich wine.

Tala's hand slowly lowered and he turned to face his son, blue eyes sad.

"Rei, go back to bed. Bry's just being stupid."

The little boy nodded. He smiled at Bryan, eyes bright.

"Night Bryan."

The lavender haired Russian nodded his head.

"Night Andreios."

Bryan glanced down at his hand, glad to see that the blood had dried. He dropped the rest of the glass he held into the bowl and without a word left, hands jammed in his pockets.

Kai set the bowl he had been holding on the table before dropping down in the chair that Bryan had been sitting in. Tala sat on the arm and rested a hand on Kai's neck, fingers tangling in the dark hair at the nape of his lover's neck.

"Kai, he can't keep doing this. He's gone to hell since Rei died and at this rate; he's not going to last much longer." Tala said as he closed his eyes.

Kai rested a hand on Tala's thigh. "He should be okay, as long as he doesn't push himself too far."

Tala nodded and they slowly got to their feet, their worries for their friend soothed for the night.

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Bryan dropped his coat on to the couch and moved through his house in the dark. He stripped off his shirt and tossed it on his bed before turning on the light. The room was simply decorated. The furniture was dark and the sheets on the bed were functional black cotton.

Sitting on the dresser were two identical pictures, their dark wood frames glinting in the light of the room. Lying next to them were Falborg and Driger, the two blades resting on black velvet.

Bryan turned off the light and turned on the one next to his bed before he finished stripping. He quickly showered and dried his hair, opting to leave it loose rather then taking the time to brush and bind it. He was too tired to deal with it.

He slid under the blankets, his exhaustion dragging him under. Had he managed to stay awake a little longer, he might have felt the fingers that brushed his hair back and placed a light kiss on his forehead.

-------

Bryan blinked several times, trying to bring the computer screen into focus. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache building. They had started occurring about three months ago. They settled over his right eye and made any movement of his head extremely painful. The only way to relieve them was to put pressure on the area and that was a pain in the ass.

The screen blurred again and Bryan sighed as he opened one of his files. He clicked on a second file and realized it was the wrong one when several thumbnails loaded on the screen.

Golden eyes stared at him and he quickly closed the file, not able to deal with the pictures right now. The pictures had come on a CD, along with a second one. Kenny had given the CDs to him shortly after Rei's death. The small computer genius had talked to all of Rei's friends and gathered as many pictures of the neko-jin as possible.

Bryan had downloaded the pictures to his computer, not wanting to risk having anything happen to the CDs. The two discs were locked in a drawer at home along with Rei's journal.

The Russian saved his work and shut his computer down. There were serious benefits to being a computer programmer. He could set his own hours and the chance of human contact was minimal.

He pulled on his black sweater, missing the black shadow that slipped out of his office.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own.

A/N: Well, here's the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Bryan leaned against the wall across from the elevators, shaking his head. His world had blurred suddenly and was slowly starting to clear. He shivered slightly, hoping that the elevator would be warmer. The building had been unusually chilly all day and his office even more so.

"This is getting ridiculous. I shouldn't be affected this much."

There was a ding as the elevator arrived on the floor. The Russian straightened up, only to have his legs give out and blackness engulf him.

-----

Warm fingers brushed through his hair and a sigh of pleasure slipped from his throat.

"Rei."

The sound of a low laugh filled his ears and strong hands pulled him into a sitting position. Slowly the hallway came into focus. Tala was kneeling in front of him, blue eyes worried. The lavender haired Russian leaned back, meeting with a warm body and he realized there was an arm around his waist.

He turned his head slightly, catching a quick glimpse of humor filled mahogany eyes.

"Even after you pass out you have a one track mind. Reminds me of Tyson." Kai said as he smiled.

Bryan slowly sat up and pulled away from Kai, rubbing at his right temple.

"Don't ever compare me to the walking trashcan again. If you do, Andreios may be down one parent."

Kai sat back on his heels and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll keep that in mind."

Tala stood up and tugged at one of his bangs. He held a hand out to his friend. Bryan allowed himself to be pulled up, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get up on his own. Once he was upright the world spun again. The Russian tightened his grip on Tala's hand.

"Bry, please rethink your choice. You shouldn't be this weak." Tala's voice was soft with worry.

The lavender haired Russian shook his head. "I won't Tala. I don't need those memories any longer. I don't need to add to my hell."

Kai slowly got to his feet and moved to stand next to Tala. He tipped Tala's head back, eyes serious.

"Love, it's his choice." The slate haired Russian turned to face his friend. "Rei wouldn't approve and you know it."

Bryan smirked. "You're wrong Kai. If Rei had known the entire story, he would have agreed with me. He saw them in my medicine cabinet."

He turned and headed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Just before he entered the stairwell, turned back, needing a question answered.

"How did you know where I was?"

Kai ran a hand through his hair, mahogany eyes slightly bewildered. "Andreios just told us that something was wrong. He was kind of spacey and his eyes were vacant."

Bryan raised an eyebrow, moonlight eyes questioning. "Must run in the family. Tala's had that look more then once."

The lavender haired Russian ignored the redhead's yelp of indignation and started down the stairs, eyes focused on his feet.

-------

Two weeks later

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Bryan sank down into the armchair and drew the black comforter up, a relieved sigh filling the silent room. He let his head fall back, wincing as his neck popped. With a second sigh he closed his eyes, hoping that sleep would come quickly.

The past week had been hell. For three days he had gone without sleep. Lying down had been too painful and after even ten minutes of it, his body was too sore to even contemplate sleep. Only after falling asleep at his desk had he found the answer.

As long as he stayed even slightly upright, there was no pain. His black armchair had become his haven and he spent most of his free time in it, dozing.

The lavender haired Russian was just about asleep when he felt eyes on him. Slowly he opened his eyes, able to see everything in the room perfectly. There were some beneficial side effects from living in the Abbey.

When he saw no one he shrugged it off, thinking that his fatigue was finally catching up with him. He hadn't gone days without sleep since those last days in the Abbey, and it was a habit he had been glad to abandon.

A warm weight settled in his lap and he felt his heart skip a beat. Fingers combed through his hair and a pair of gentle lips brushed over his own. He slowly opened his eyes and was met with a pair of glowing golden eyes.

"Rei."

A purring laugh filled the room and the neko-jin smiled, fangs glinting in the darkness. He snuggled into Bryan and rested his head on the Russian's shoulder, one hand resting on his chest.

"Yep. I came to get you." The neko-jin's voice was soft, and held a slight undercurrent of sadness.

Bryan looked down at his lover, moonlight eyes confused.

"What the hell are," he sighed, and pulled Rei closer. "Never mind. I know what you're talking about. My heart."

The raven haired man jumped slightly and looked up at his lover, golden eyes confused. "How did you know?"

The Russian smiled slightly and leaned down placing a light kiss on the neko-jin's lips. "I've known since I was four and my grandfather died."

Rei moved closer to his lover, nuzzling at the pale neck. "Explain please, I'm confused."

Bryan unbound Rei's hair, dropping the wrap to the floor. The raven strands pooled around them and Bryan ran his hand through the hair, moonlight eyes closed in contentment.

"All male Kuznetsov's have it. Our hearts are weak and deformed and tend to give out at any time. We have the chance of dying anytime between birth and age 80. My grandfather was lucky and lived to be 80."

The neko-jin wiped at a tear. "I thought the Abbey only took people in excellent health. How the hell did you get dragged in?"

The Russian sighed and rested a trembling hand on Rei's leg. "I got in only because of my ability to control Falborg. They managed to work around my heart problem with drugs."

The neko-jin shuddered and pressed closer to Bryan. "The medicine in your cabinet. Was all of that for you heart?"

Bryan shook his head. "No. The big bottle was for my mentally instability, the little bottle the drugs that all of us got so they could control us," he took a deep breath. "The syringes were for my heart. One injection a day for 13 years. I stopped taking them the day Tala lost."

Rei sniffled and slowly pulled out of Bryan's arms. "Why did you stop?"

The older man's eyes were neutral. "I didn't want to be reminded of the Abbey everyday for the rest of my life." He raised a shaking hand, his voice filled with irony when he spoke. "And look where it got me. I used to be able to hold the shaking off."

The neko-jin got to his feet and held a hand out. A smile curled his lips. "Well, now you don't have to worry about it." Without a second thought Bryan took his lover's hand. "Tala's going to have a fit."

Rei shrugged. "I'll leave a note. He'll understand. I take it he and Kai already know?"

The Russian hugged the neko-jin close, and placed a kiss on the tip of Rei's ear. "He does."

Slowly the two lovers faded out, leaving the house silent.

------

Tala nearly walked into Kai as his lover abruptly stopped.

"Kai, what the hell is going on?"

The slate haired Russian stepped into the house and moved to the side, allowing his lover in. Tala's blue eyes widened in shock and a sob built in the back of his throat.

Bryan's motionless body rested in the armchair, the black comforter drawn up to his chin. His eyes were closed and a soft smile curled his lips. A piece of black paper rested in his lap.

A gasp of shock slipped from Kai's throat and he dropped to the floor, picking something up. He held it up for Tala's inspection, mahogany eyes filled with tears. The redhead gently took it from the other Russian, knowing exactly what it was.

"Kai, this is Rei's hair wrap."

The slate haired man nodded absently as he read the piece of paper. He took the wrap and handed the paper to his lover, silent tears streaming down his cheeks.

Gold and silver stripped ink filled the page, in Rei's familiar, flowing writing.

_Tala, Kai,_

_I'm sure by now you know what's happened. I had to come get Bryan. His heart couldn't take much more stress and I hated to see him in pain. I know you're wondering what stress I'm talking about. The stress of living was too much. It was only a matter of time before his heart gave out, and I wanted him to spare him that._

_Bryan and I love you both, and we'll watch over you two and Andreios._

_Love_

_Rei_

Tala smiled and pocketed the paper. Kai was still holding the hair wrap, eyes focused on Bryan's body.

"Come on Kai."

The two Russians left, not noticing the two shadows in the corner.


End file.
